


What Percent Rival?

by thearchangelofsass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, mini golf, snapchat shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 06:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13161423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearchangelofsass/pseuds/thearchangelofsass
Summary: Keith knows that he's being ridiculous pining for Lance. They're just friends! And they've worked so hard to get there! But then Keith gets a fateful snapchat and what's this about golf?





	What Percent Rival?

**Author's Note:**

> written for @alteanlance on tumblr

     Keith can’t help the smile that creeps up his face as he sees the notification ‘ **snapchat from lanceylance’** pop up on his screen.

     He and Lance are friends at this point. They’ve come a long way since that time freshman year where Keith accidentally sat in Lance’s unofficial seat in the chemistry lecture hall, nearly starting a fight. After the first week, he’d learned his lesson, but Keith kept sitting in that seat, if only for the chance to talk to Lance. Thus their argumentative streak began, but unwittingly, so did their friendship. They still like to compete with each other but there’s less of a hard edge and more of a softness to their banter. Now Lance comes over to Keith’s dorm to hang out and play video games on Friday nights after their three hour astronomy class designed and taught by Satan himself. And Lance is Keith’s go to person for a late night Insomnia Cookies run because:

     a) Lance won’t judge him the way Shiro will and  
     b) Lance always remembers to get the lactose free milk

So they’re friends now. Which has done nothing to diminish Keith’s hope that their relationship could blossom into something more. Hence, the stupid grin when Lance’s name pops up in his notifications. But when Keith opens Lance’s snapchat, all he can do is groan.

  
  
     “Just when I think we’ve gotten over the rivalry.” Keith mutters to himself. He saves the chat so he can show it to and discuss it with Shiro later. Half the things Lance has checked aren’t even true. _At least, not anymore_ , Keith thinks, _but maybe Lance still believes that?_ He sighs. Even after all the fights that have slowly melted away to friendship, it seems Keith can’t escape how he and Lance started off on the wrong foot. Annoyed, Keith doesn’t even bother with a selfie and takes a picture of his dorm room floor. He captions it ‘Seriously?’ before sending it and tossing his phone on his bed.

      A moment later Keith frowns, and leans over to pick his phone back up. He re-examines the list again and realizes that it says BFF at the top. _Does that mean anything,_ Keith wonders. _Does any of this mean anything?_ He shuts off his phone again and rubs his eyes. _We’re just friends._ Keith shakes his head. _Lance wouldn’t like me. Why should I bother?_ Keith jolts as his phone lights up with a new notification before cursing himself an instant later. Just Lance’s name shouldn’t make Keith this ridiculously happy but it does, and Keith really wishes he didn’t have to deal with it. He opens the snapchat anyway and is greeted with a typical Lance selfie, captioned ‘I just saw it and thought of you.’ This is followed by another picture of Lance cheesing captioned ‘chill, mullet.’ Keith can’t help but feel weirdly disappointed. _Of course it didn’t mean anything,_ Keith thinks, _besides, it’s not like I wanted the fighting and bickering to start again_. Two new notifications from Lance pop up and Keith closes his eyes, as if trying to block the other boy from his mind. But the image of Lance’s smiling face seems branded on his retinas, unable to leave Keith’s head.

     “Goddamit!” Keith cries. He then really hopes his roommate is still in class. With a sigh, Keith looks down at his phone again. He bites the bullet, and opens Lance’s snap.

      It’s a text chat, which immediately catches Keith off guard. Lance _never_ passes up the excuse to take a barrage of selfies. It’s totally unlike him. The second thing giving Keith whiplash is the actual content.

**Lanceylance**

| I mean if you want to do something competitive again we could try out that new  

| mini golf place just outside of central

| Only if you want to tho haha

_Is Lance…asking me out?_ Keith’s not trying to get his own hopes up, but Allura did take Shay mini-golfing on their first date.

     “Should I ask if it’s a date?” Keith wonders aloud. “I feel like that’s weird, right? We’re probably just…hanging out.” Keith exhales through his nose. He settles on replying with ‘I’ve never played mini golf before.’ He has to stop himself from chucking his phone again, not wanting to risk accidentally hitting the wall. There’s still a dent from the last time that happened.

     Keith’s phone lights up and he’s embarrassed at how quickly he opens Lance’s message.

**Lanceylance**

| I haven’t played mini golf since I was five haha

| Well if you’re down my class ends at 6 so you could meet me at my dorm at 6:30ish

| and we could take the T to central

| only if you want tho haha

        Keith frowns. Lance keeps saying ‘haha,’ something Keith knows the other boy only says when he’s feeling nervous. _But why would he be nervous?_ Keith forces down the hope in his chest and tries to just respond.  

**Me**

| sounds good see you then

        Keith frowns again.

**Me**

| Lance why are you on your phone during class

**Lanceylance**

| I’m in Iverson’s section of American History bite me

| see you soon

     Keith is grinning as he puts his phone down this time, and doesn’t even try to make himself feel bad about it. He then realizes he has an hour and a half before his maybe, maybe not date with Lance and has a minor crisis. _That’s so soon! I can’t just sit here!_ Keith exhales harshly. _I need a game plan._ He eyes his phone, his constant source of torment for the past few minutes and picks it up begrudgingly. He needs to make a call. Luckily, his savior picks up after just a few rings.

     “Pidge?” Keith’s voice is hesitant. “I need your help. What do you wear for a date that’s not a date?” A muffled sound that’s maybe groaning comes from the other end of the phone.

     “This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain astronomy major with blue eyes and a penchant for calling you ‘mullet,’ right?”

     Keith clears his throat hastily. “Maybe.”

     “Hunk and I are on our way.”

 

***

 

     “When you said you’d never played mini golf before, you weren’t kidding,” Lance says as Keith finally gets the ball into the hole on the tenth stroke.

     “It’s not like you can talk, Lance,” Keith retorts. “We have basically the same score.” But he’s smiling and so is Lance as they make their way to the next hole. They’re on their second round after an incredibly frustrating tie in their first game. Lance had suggested a sudden death where the loser has to buy the other cotton candy. Now that they’re at the last hole, still pretty much neck and neck, so Keith has everything to play for. He sets his ball down on the green and takes a ferocious swing at it. The ball sails up a hill but slams into a miniature windmill, ricocheting off the wooden wall and rolling back down to the starting point.

     “Dang,” Lance says,“I’m sorry I ever doubted your skills.” Keith gives him a withering look and they both burst into laughter.

     “Shut up,” Keith replies, playfully shoving Lance. “Just take your turn.” Lance cracks his knuckles expertly.

     “I’ll show you how it’s done Keith, don’t worry.” Lance delicately sets the ball down, checking its position a few times before taking a firm swing at it. The ball sails cleanly through the opening in the windmill and out the other side towards the hole. Lance takes a sweeping bow as Keith shakes his head.

     “Can I just give up?” Keith asks.

     “No, no, nope,” Lance says. “Not allowed. I’ll show you how to do it. Come on.” He gestures for Keith to put the ball back at the starting point.

     “Okay.” Keith says, plopping the ball down. “Now what?”

     “I think what happened is you uh curved the club a little bit when you were swinging, that’s why it went ker-SPLAT instead of whooosh like mine.”

     Keith raises an eyebrow. “English, please?”

     “You gotta fix your grip. Like…” Lance puts his club down and walks over to Keith. “Show me what you did before?”  

     “Okay.” Keith puts his hands on his club.

     “You need to shift your thumb and index finger around more.” Lance puts his arms around Keith so he can put his hands over the other boy’s, sending shower of electricity between them. “So you just move your hands there,” Lance instructs, his hands shaking, “and swing.” They swing together, and the ball sails up the hill, gliding through the windmill. “See?”

     “Fair enough,” Keith admits. Lance takes a moment longer than absolutely necessary to let go of Keith before going to retrieve his club. Keith involuntarily shivers at the absence of Lance’s warmth and Lance frowns in concern.

     “You cold, mullet?” Lance is surprised when Keith doesn’t remark on the use of the nickname.

     “Yeah, actually,” Keith replies. “I uh, forgot to bring my jacket.” In reality both Pidge and Hunk had suggested that he ditch his favorite cropped jacket and simply rock a black v-neck and jeans, but Lance didn’t have to know that.

     “Here.” In one fluid motion Lance takes off his jacket, and drapes it around Keith’s shoulders. Keith wriggles his arms into the sleeves and gratefully accepts the warmth of the jacket.  He then realizes it has the same comforting smell that Lance does, which makes his cheeks tinge pink.

     “Thanks,” Keith finally manages to say.

     “Don’t mention it,” Lance replies. “Now come on, let’s go finish this thing.”

     “Sure.” Keith starts walking towards the section of green behind the windmill. “But you might as well as tell me what kind of cotton candy you like now, just to save time.”

     “Uh, the blue kind?” Lance shrugs in a way so adorable Keith thinks it should be illegal.

     “You got it,” Keith says. As Lance lines up his next shot, Keith allows himself a small smile as he puts his hands in the pockets of Lance’s jacket. And as Lance lets out a triumphant whoop as his ball rolls delicately into the hole, Keith can’t bring himself to feel at all disappointed.  

 

***

 

     “Well this is me,” Keith says as they finally approach Arusian Hall, the taste of blue raspberry still lingering in his mouth. They’d walked around eating their cotton candy for a while after finishing their game, but eventually Keith had yawned and Lance had offered to take him back to his dorm. Keith had enjoyed the ride back from central, not so subtly pressing up against Lance’s side as they sat next to each other on the T. But now he feels a lump in his throat as he pats his jean pockets looking for his key card. Tonight wasn’t nothing. Otherwise Keith wouldn’t currently be wearing Lance’s beloved jacket. He wouldn’t still be feeling the aftershocks of Lance’s warm hand covering his own. _But was it a date? And if this wasn’t a date, what does it all mean?_

     “Hey.” Lance’s soft voice breaks Keith out of his reverie. Keith looks up to see an uncharacteristically bashful Lance rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh, had a great time tonight.”

     “Me too.” Keith can’t help the warmth that spreads up his cheeks or the somersault that his stomach does as Lance appears to lean in slightly. For a split second, Keith calculates the exact number of inches between them and how easy it would be to close that distance and kiss Lance good night. _But what if it wasn’t a date_? The unhelpful voice in his mind wonders. Keith shivers as if doused with a bucket of cold water and has to physically take a step back from Lance. “Gotta go.” Keith mumbles. “I have an 8 am review session in the morning.”  

     “Oh.” Lance says softly. He’s pretty sure that Keith doesn’t actually have anything tomorrow, but decides to not press the issue. “See you later then. Night.” Lance turns and starts walking briskly, not wanting Keith to see the hurt on his face. So of course he also doesn’t see Keith’s eyes starting water as Lance disappears further and further into the darkness.  

 

***

 

        When Keith wakes up, he has to take a moment to realize that he’s back in his own room. His last coherent memory of the night before is sitting down on the hallway floor and sniffling because of… Keith groans and pulls his covers over his head as he remembers his not-date with Lance.

        “I’m so stupid.” Keith whispers out loud. He forces himself to sit up and check the time on his phone. The disgustingly bright screen reads 11:05. Keith considers going back to sleep and just calling it quits on the rest of the day before he realizes that Shiro will be out of his 8 am by now. He quickly dials his brother’s number, and Shiro picks up right away.

        “Keith, what’s up?” Shiro laughs as Keith just makes a groaning sound. “Let me guess. This is about Lance.”

        “You’re a fucking mind reader, Shiro.” Keith grumbles. “I think I really messed up.”

        “What did you do?”

        “Uh I didn’t really do anything I just…” Keith lets out a sharp exhale. “We were hanging out last night and then he gave me his jacket and then I thought it was a date but I guess I was wrong. I think I made things weird.” Keith hears something that sounds suspiciously like a sigh from the other end of the line.

        “I can tell you for certain that you’re not wrong.” Shiro says. “I may have run into Lance in Café Luna this morning.”

        “Did he say anything? About me, specifically?” Keith feels his heart leaping into his throat.

        “Not much,” Shiro admits, “but he did look really down. When I asked him what was up, he said he finally went on a date with this _amazing_ guy he’s been _obsessing_ over.”

        “What?” Keith voice is a soft disbelief.

        “But that the date ended badly, and now he thinks the guy is avoiding him.” Shiro finishes. “I’m guessing that’s the fuck up you’re referring to?” Keith has a quick flashback to stumbling away from Lance and lying about his schedule the next day.  

        “Yep.” Keith buries his face in his hands.

        “You _need_ to talk to him.” Shiro urges. “The poor guy is _crazy_ about you.”

        “Well I’m crazy about him too!” Keith retorts. “I just don’t know what the say to him. ‘Sorry I freaked out last night I actually really like you’?” Keith shakes his head, not remembering that Shiro can’t see him. “I just wish I could be smooth and good at flirting for once, you know?”

        “Some things just can’t be helped, Keith”

        “Hey!” Keith makes a mental note to terrorize his brother the next time he sees Shiro. “Whatever. I’ll figure it out. Thanks.”

        “Bye Keith.”

        Keith sets his phone down and takes a few deep breaths. _Why are feelings so difficult?_ He wonders, feeling like he’s having his mid-college crisis. He chews his lip. _If only I hadn’t responded stupidly to that snapchat and..._ Keith’s thought trails off, as he’s suddenly struck by an idea that he doesn’t think is entirely stupid.

        “This could work.” Keith whispers aloud. He makes a few edits before hitting send and resigns himself to getting out of bed. Now all he can do is wait.

 

***

 

        “Maybe I should just give up,” Lance says forlornly. “I feel like I’ve been super obvious to Keith and it’s clear that he’s just not into me in the same way.”

        “Nonsense!” Hunk protests loudly, attracting the stares of a few passersby. “Besides, you didn’t even realize _you_ were into Keith like half this time. So my point is you should talk to him. As soon as possible.”

        “Maybe.” Lance sighs. “I’m just…tired.”

        “I feel that.” Hunk says, nodding sagely.

        “I think I might just head back to my dorm.” Lance feels Hunk’s hand on his shoulder and smiles weakly.

        “As long as you’re sure,” Hunk replies. “Pidge and I are gonna run some errands, but we _are_ going to Shake Shack later. You should come.”

        “I do love a good milkshake.” Lance says, stroking his chin dramatically. “I’ll think about it. Just text me when you get to the shack.”

        “Alright, later man.” Hunk says, giving Lance’s shoulder a quick squeeze before continuing to walk across the quad. Lance figures that he’ll head back to his room, play some video games, and maybe try and forget the events of last night (as well as of the traumatic lab practical he and Hunk just had). But a chirping notification from his phone stops him in his tracks. He whips his phone out of his back pocket faster than he’d care to admit and feels his heart beat just a little faster as he sees ‘ **snapchat from mulletboi’** at the top of his screen. He opens the chat instantly, and recognizes the checklist he sent Keith.  But the he’s completely unprepared for the caption.

  
Lance stares at his phone in a mixture of disbelief and wonder for a good few minutes before his brain starts to work again. He considers calling Keith right there and then, but decides that he’d rather see his new boyfriend face to face. He smiles down at his phone again before pocketing it and breaking into a sprint across the quad, racing down to Arusian hall so he can kiss Keith Kogane.

**Author's Note:**

> be sure to check me out on tumblr @polaroidpidge


End file.
